In this episode of the BackTable Podcast, host Dr. Chris Beck interviews guest Dr. Gary Tse about the innovative technique of thyroid ablation and its role in treating benign thyroid nodules. Dr. Tse is a practicing interventional radiologist at UCLA Health.

Dr. Tse highlights the procedural details, patient experiences, potential complications, and follow-up protocols of thyroid ablation. He emphasizes the importance of consistent communication with patients during these procedures, given that the patients are under minimal anesthesia. He explains how interventional radiologists can benefit from embracing this procedure due to their expertise in ultrasound usage, as it leads to reduction in recovery times and complications for patients. Dr. Tse also briefly discusses the future potential of thyroid embolization for larger goiters. He encourages other IR specialists to consider adopting this procedure, which he believes should become a standard of care.

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SHOW NOTES

00:00 - Introduction

04:03 - Dr. Tse’s Career Journey and Transition to Academics

06:32 - Discussion on Thyroid Interventions

09:15 - Building Referral Patterns for Thyroid Interventions

11:50 - Thyroid Ablation Procedure Overview

21:23 - Post-Ablation Outcomes and Goals

25:52 - Avoiding Complications

32:55 - Post-Procedure Follow-Up

36:14 - Exploring Thyroid Embolization

42:23 - Final Thoughts and Future Prospects

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RESOURCES

2017 Thyroid Radiofrequency Ablation Guideline: Korean Society of Thyroid Radiology:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6005940/

Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Injury in Thermal Ablation of Thyroid Nodules-Risk Factors and Cause Analysis:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35311971/

Effectiveness of Injecting Cold 5% Dextrose into Patients with Nerve Damage Symptoms during Thyroid Radiofrequency Ablation:

https://doi.org/10.3803/EnM.2020.35.2.407

Revisiting Rupture of Benign Thyroid Nodules after Radiofrequency Ablation: Various Types and Imaging Features:

https://doi.org/10.3803/EnM.2019.34.4.415

Thyroid arterial embolization to treat Graves' disease:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17354140/

Thyroid Embolization for Nonsurgical Treatment of Nodular Goiter: A Single-Center Experience in 56 Consecutive Patients:

https://www.jvir.org/article/S1051-0443(21)01212-4/fulltext#%20